Affiliations:
Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Caron Gan, RN, MScN, RMFT, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada. Tel.:+1 416 425 6220/Ext. 3514, Fax:+1 416 424 3880; E-mail: cgan@hollandbloorview.ca.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Strengths-based approaches are increasingly utilized in health care, but little is known about their practical application in rehabilitation with families after pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). OBJECTIVE: To describe a strengths-based model, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and its clinical application to family intervention for adolescents with ABI. METHODS: A literature review highlights a growing movement towards resilience and strengths-based approaches to family intervention after pediatric ABI. The authors introduce the assumptions, tenets, and clinical application of SFBT, which is a competency-based and resource-based model that focuses on family strengths and successes. A direct comparison is made between the traditional medical model and the solution-focused paradigm. RESULTS: Key elements of SFBT are described, including specific strategies, techniques, and its clinical application in the Brain Injury Family Intervention for Adolescents (BIFI-A). The BIFI-A, designed for adolescents with ABI and their families, is a 12-session manualized intervention that encompasses education about ABI, skill building, and emotional support. CONCLUSIONS: Given the increased interest for research regarding strengths-based approaches in pediatric rehabilitation, the utilization of SFBT with families of adolescents with ABI warrants further attention and investigation. The BIFI-A, with its underpinnings of SFBT, is a promising new family system intervention that also merits further research.
Keywords: Family, brain injuries, adolescent, family therapy, strengths-based family interventions, solution-focused therapy, rehabilitation
